Re: Nordstrom Credit Card (they need to confirm identity?)

I finally got the card but it was a pain in the @ss to get it. One word of advice: DO NOT APPLY ONLINE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot stress that enough! I called customer service 2x and went into an actual store and was told different things each time! Here's a basic timeline of what happened:

I've been interested in applying to Nordys for some time and finally did once my FICO EQ score was at 726 so I could apply for the Signature card.

Applied online on a Sunday. Got the 7-10 day message. Called CS immediately to ask why (I thought my scores were sufficient) and they said they had to confirm my identity. I asked if I could fax in documents thinking I could expedite the process as I was leaving for vacation at the end of the week. CSR #1 said that everything had to be done via MAIL -- I could not do ANYTHING to confirm my identity INCLUDING going into the store. I asked for a supervisor and was told the same thing as well. Asked if there was anything I could do to expedite because, again, I was going on vacation for 11 days but she told me absolutely not and was actually kind of rude about it.

Waited one day. Feeling really impatient. Found their fax and mailing address online, got all my docs ready, and sent them all in. Called again on Monday.

CSR #2 told me I could go into a store with my ID and utility bill. Said they have not yet received my fax. Decided to wait a few days for them to process my fax.

Waited 3 more days (last day before I left on my vacation) and went into the store with my docs including MyFICO report which showed my latest FICO EQ score as 791!!! My friend who works at Nordstrom checked with the CSR manager to ask if I should bother coming in with my ID and utility bill. He said they could expedite my app so I went in..........WRONG. The Nordstrom store CSR still has to CALL into the banking center and doesn't really do anything besides providing your info and confirming your identity for when you get your application STARTED. I explained to the bank CSR that I was going on vacation and asked again if they could expedite. She got a supervisor on the line who told me I was actually DENIED and told to wait for my letter for specific reasons as she couldn't tell me over the phone. I couldn't believe it! I told her I had my FICO EQ score in my hand that shows a 791 and she replied (in a rather snarky tone) that the score she saw from 4 days ago was A LOT lower than that and told me to reapply in 6 months. The store CSR said I could start a brand new app in-store right now since I was already there but I didn't want another inquiry on my report (which btw they pulled my score again unauthorized but I'll get to that in a minute).

Now I can only assume that I had to jump thru all these hoops because I was being overly persistent which can make them weary about potential fraud, so I just gave up and decided to wait for the letter. Not sure when each letter arrived but they both took around 10-14 days.

Letter #1 said they had to confirm my identity and asked me to mail the docs in.

Letter #2 came a couple days later and said I was denied because I had too few accounts paid as agreed (what?!), high loan limit, etc. and a score of 657 !!!!!!! I seriously thought they might have pulled the wrong report because I had not had a score that low in almost a year but I received a new inquiry alert from MyFICO so I have NO idea how that low of a number came up!

I went to Equifax.com to order my score that day and enclosed a copy of that report and receipt with my recon letter. About 2 weeks after I mailed in the letter, I received an alert that a new inquiry was made and that a new account opened 1 day later. I guess Nords pulled my credit again (kinda bummed because I didn't explicitly authorize it nor did I feel that I implied it was okay for them to pull my credit again but they did) and then opened the account (backdated to when I first applied). I saw that there were 16 digits in the account number so I knew it was a Signature card but wasn't sure of the limit (store cards only have like 10 digits).

Letter #3 showed up about 5 days after that. They pulled EQ again and got a score of 719. Signature $5k flexible spending limit. Tier II financing 14.9% for Nords purchases and 18.9% for everything else. My score dropped the 2nd time they pulled because I went from 5% util to 60% (darn vacation) but I'm still happy I got it since I only have one other card with a $5,500 limit and 2 CrapOne cards (worst cards ever). Card and packet came a few days after letter #3. Hopefully in 6 mos. to a year, my util will be back down to 5% or less and I can ask for a CLI and tier I rate!

Hope this info helps potential applicants ! PS I'm in CA and I'm pretty sure they almost exclusively pull EQ although I've read some people saying all 3 were pulled....weird.

Re: Nordstrom Credit Card (they need to confirm identity?)

Wow, what an ordeal. My experience was somewhat similar to yours. I submitted an online application last Friday and received the 7-10 day message. Immediatelly called and was told they could not issue me a store or Visa Signature card at this time. Sounded like a straight denial, then the CSR continued and told me to mail in a copy of my ID and a utility/bank statement or I could present them at the store, which I did. My local store faxed my information in. They dispatched me with a message it would take them 24-48 hours to process my ID verification. This Monday I called to check my application and I was told they had approved me for a Visa Signature, then I received an alert the following morning that they had pulled EQ and TU on Monday!

So, moral of the story is that, yes, it is easier if you just apply in person to avoid having to being told to do an ID verification and potentially save on additional inquiries.

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